There is nothing like visiting a used book sale. I live the thrill of walking through rooms and rooms of books. Whether the books are carefully organized by subject or jumbled this way and that, each visit to a used book sale is a great adventure.
One of my favorite book sales is held in the Radnor Library, here in Pennsylvania. This sale boasts thousands of well-cared-for books that occupy an entire basement. The sale is held twice a year and people come from other states just to experience it. It was at this sale last year that we hit the jackpot of books and other media.
I found the coveted Griffin & Sabine books for a friend, lots of current cookbooks, best sellers, kids books, home improvement books and more. My husband found a rare record album that he wanted to frame as a gift for a friend. Many of the books could still be found at the regular retail local bookstore on the front caps (the first shelves you see when you enter the store). Even with two young kids in tow and me being very pregnant, we left there with two large boxes of books.
I found this amazing sale by visiting the Book Sale Finder website. The site has been operating since 1994. It lists books sales that are going on all over the country. Most of the sales are held by libraries, but there are also book store clearance sales, sales by non-profit groups, and store closing sales.
Scroll a bit past the paid ads to find the map. Then click on your state to find current sales for your area. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see any sales for your area with this one click. That first page only shows current sales. I recommend clicking on “Future Sales” below the featured listings. This will bring up a grid that shows different sales by month. April seems to be a big book sale time in my area, but it may vary for your state. You can also search by town or county for used book sales.
I not only look at this site for my home state, but also for nearby states, such as Delaware. When we are visiting relatives in New York or New Jersey, I always check the site in case we might have time to fit in a sale.
Used book stores often advertise on this site, so that is another way of finding great places to buy used books.
Most books at a used book sale will cost around $.25 (or 5 for a $1) for paper backs to $1 for hardcover books and more for rare, first edition-type books. Compare that to the $25 and up you would find for a regular retail hardcover book! And used books sales are often open to haggling if you are buying at least a small box full. Now that is what I call frugal.
Do you shop for used books? Do you have any tips?
Click Here to go to the Book Sale Finder web site.
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Some great ideas using those used books:
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Frugal Gift Basket: Mystery in the Evening